RAPID CITY, SOUTH DAKOTA — Soldiers from the South Dakota Army National Guard’s aviation community and members of the Lakota Nation will be celebrating the arrival of the state’s newest helicopter, named "Lakota" by the U.S. Army, at a ceremony scheduled to be held at the Crazy Horse Memorial on May 14, 2011.

Several UH-72A "Lakota" Light Utility Helicopters, the newest aircraft in the U.S. Army’s inventory, will begin arriving later this spring to Delta Company, 1st/112th Security and Support Battalion. Soldiers in this newly-forming SDARNG aviation unit will utilize the Lakota’s non-combat capabilities to conduct their primary mission of medical transportation of the sick and wounded.

"In addition to the ceremony being held at Crazy Horse, the SDARNG is sponsoring two design contests to commemorate the Lakota’s arrival," said Master Sgt. Kelly Moore, the senior aviation maintenance non-commissioned officer with the South Dakota National Guard’s Joint Force Headquarters.

"The first contest is for students in grades eight or lower to design several posters, using the Lakota culture and the helicopter as the theme," Moore said. "The second contest is for adults and students of grade nine or higher, with the winning design being used as the official unit patch worn on the uniform of all Delta Co. Soldiers," he said.

Moore said he is confident that the Lakota’s mission, and the contests leading up to its arrival, will help to foster continued unity between the state’s civilian population and its uniformed service members.

"The hope is to create opportunities within the Lakota Nation, as well as a stronger bond between the Lakota Nation and the South Dakota National Guard," he said. Moore explained that during times of emergency, Soldiers flying the Lakota would be ready and available to help everyone who lives within the state.

City flunks history test in unearthing of Indian cemetery
Friday, January 21, 2011

"L.A. has flunked another history test.

Not the kind with questions about George Washington and the Constitution. This was a test of our ability to protect our local history — specifically one particular patch of land where many, if not most, of L.A.'s founders were buried.

Now the long rest of some of those early Angelenos has been disturbed. Bones from one of the city's early cemeteries were dug up by accident during the construction — ironically enough — of a history museum.

"Something went wrong. This shouldn't have been allowed to happen," said Rene Vellanoweth, an archaeologist and chairman of anthropology at Cal State Los Angeles. "What's at stake is something that belongs to the entire community."

L.A. seems to specialize in acts of historic desecration. The list of demolished city treasures is a very long one indeed. This particular construction project — of La Plaza de Cultura y Artes, near Olvera Street — is a prime example. In 2007, to make room for the future center for Mexican American culture and arts, we allowed a 19th century brick building to be knocked down.

"I know there are people who say you should preserve every single brick, just because it is old," L.A. County Supervisor Gloria Molina, one of the project's main backers, told The Times in 2004. The old building, she said, had "no historic benefit." Preservationists disagreed.

I happen to think this city badly needs such a cultural center. Among other things, it should inject some life into the town square where L.A. was founded.

The following story was written and reported by Ernestine Chasing Hawk. The Annual Fort Robinson Spiritual Outbreak Run, which began in 1996, was organized by Northern Cheyenne Tribal member Phillip Whiteman Jr. to honor ancestors of the Northern Cheyenne who broke out of a Fort Robinson prison camp in the dead of winter on Jan. 9, 1879.

The annual event originally started out as a 76 mile run around the reservation. Then in 1999, the participants began running the 400 mile trek from Fort Robinson, Nebraska to Busby, Montana.
The relay fashioned run begins with two runners, usually a boy and a girl, one carrying the tribal flag of the Northern Cheyenne Nation and the other an eagle staff. The runners hand off the symbolic tokens of their heritage to the next runners who carry them in remembrance of the sacrifice made by their ancestors.

According to organizers, the annual run has become a rite of passage for the young runners who make a commitment to complete the five day journey from Nebraska to their homeland in Montana.

"They run day and night enduring January temperatures and physical hardships, much like their ancestors of 131 years ago. They learn valuable lessons of unity, responsibility to self and others, and how to overcome adversities. They gain a strong connection to the sacrifice of their ancestors. The run instills in them a sense of pride, greater self-esteem, a deeper respect for their identity and sincere appreciation for their homeland," Whiteman wrote at www.yellowbirdinc.org, the official website for the run.

Northern Cheyenne history

After one year, the Northern Cheyenne, suffering depredations from lack of food and disease, wished to return to their tribal homeland in Montana. After being denied permission, under the leadership of Chiefs Dull Knife and Little Wolf, more than 350 Cheyenne secretly departed for the Dakota Territory.

Dull Knife, whose Indian name is "Tah-me-la-pash-me," was one of the principle signers of 1868 Ft Laramie Treaty made between the Northern Cheyenne, the Northern Arapaho, the Lakota and the United States Government. In 1876 "Tah-me-la-pash-me’s" band united with the Hunkpapa leader "Tatanka Iyotanka" (Sitting Bull’s) band and was instrumental in the defeat Custer’s Seventh Cavalry at the Battle of the Little Big Horn.

According to the historical record kept at Fort Robinson, during their escape from Oklahoma territory, the Cheyenne were able to elude recapture by slipping through a cordon along the Union Pacific rail line in Nebraska and resume their northerly trek. Somewhere in Nebraska the group broke up. Little Wolf and his followers wanted to continue moving north and join the Lakota leader Sitting Bull in Canada. For the time being, they went into hiding in the vast Sand Hills.

The second group decided to try to obtain refuge with the Lakota Chief Red Cloud, who was a friend of Dull Knife. With this in mind, they set out for the Red Cloud Agency. Unknown to Dull Knife, however, Red Cloud and his people had been moved into Dakota Territory, and only soldiers remained near the old agency.

South of present-day Chadron, Nebraska, an army patrol intercepted Dull Knife and his people, and on October 24, 1878, escorted them into Fort Robinson. A total of 149 men, women, and children were taken into custody and confined in the cavalry barracks. Initially the Cheyenne’s were free to leave the barracks as long as all were present for evening roll call. Several of the women were even employed at the fort, and this arrangement continued into December 1878.

During this period Dull Knife requested that the Cheyenne’s be allowed either to join Red Cloud at his agency or to remain in their former northern Plains homeland. Attempts were also being made by Kansas officials to extradite certain members of the group to stand trial for alleged crimes committed during their flight through that state. Washington officials insisted on the return of the Cheyenne’s to Oklahoma.

By late December the Cheyenne were prisoners in the barracks, no longer allowed to come and go. The army was under orders to pressure them into returning south, and the Cheyenne were equally determined never to go back to the southern reservation.

By the night of January 9, 1879, the impasse had come to a point of crisis, and the Cheyenne broke out of the barracks. Weapons they had hidden earlier were used to shoot the guards, and while some of the men held off the soldiers, the remaining Cheyenne’s fled in the dark.

A running fight ensued along the White River valley between the fleeing Cheyenne and the pursuing soldiers. At least twenty-six Cheyenne warriors were killed that night and some eighty women and children were recaptured.

Those still free eluded the soldiers until January 22, when most were killed or taken prisoner at a camp on Antelope Creek northwest of Fort Robinson. In all, sixty-four Native Americans and eleven soldiers lost their lives during the protracted escape attempt. Dull Knife and part of his family were among the few that managed to get away, and they eventually made their way to refuge with Red Cloud. Most of them were killed at this time, but a few survived and made it to their homeland, the Powder River country in Southeastern Montana. Because of this sacrifice, they now have the Northern Cheyenne Reservation.
Following in the footsteps
Much like their ancestors the young runners battled the elements, enduring frigid temperatures which often dipped below zero, during the week of Jan. 10-14.

Their journey, which gave them the opportunity to tread the same ground their ancestors walked on, began with prayer at Bear Butte where the Northern Cheyenne have historical connections. They went on to Fort Robinson where they would spend the night in the officers’ quarters similar to the ones their ancestors broke out of on Jan. 9, 1879.

They spent a day at the Crawford Community Center learning the details of the epic journey made by their ancestors more than a century ago that led to where the Northern Cheyenne live today. They also visited some of the historical sites, including the "Last Hole" where many of their ancestors had sought cover after they broke out of Fort Robinson where they were slaughtered and buried by the Cavalry. That evening the runners broke out of the rebuilt barracks at the approximate time and on the exact location that their ancestors broke out of 131 years ago and ran for 20 miles to Chadron.

The next morning the runners departed from Chadron and ran the back roads to Slim Buttes on Hwy 18, through Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. They stopped at Cheyenne Creek where they listened to Wilmer Mesteth retell the oral history of Cheyenne Creek where the remains of their Cheyenne ancestors, who had been given blankets infected with small pox by Calvary soldiers, were discovered.

They spent the night at Hot Springs and the next morning would continue their journey into the Black Hills and visited Crazy Horse Monument in Custer. That evening they were welcomed by the Rapid City Indian Community at the Mother Butler Center where they enjoyed a meal hosted by Marilyn Pourier.
On Wednesday the runners departed from Deadwood on Hwy 85 to I-90 and journeyed on into Belle Fourche via hwy 34 where they spent the night and enjoyed supper sponsored by Butte County Historical Society and Center of the Nation Business Association. Stronger runners run into the evening Hwy 212 to Hammond, Mont.

On Thursday evening the runners reached the outer edges of their reservation at Ashland, Mont. where their families met them and provided a meal at St Labre Indian School in Ashland. On Friday for the last leg of their journey the runners departed from Ashland to Lame Deer and at 2 p.m. reached their destination at Busby.

A dinner, honoring and presentations followed at Allen Rowland Gym in Lame Deer.

You have noticed that everything an Indian does in a circle,
and that is because the Power of the World always works in circles,
and everything and everything tries to be round.

In the old days all our power came to us from the sacred hoop
of the nation and so long as the hoop was unbroken the people
flourished. The flowering tree was the living center of the hoop,
and the circle of the four quarters nourished it. The east gave peace
and light, the south gave warmth, the west gave rain and the north
with its cold and mighty wind gave strength and endurance. This
knowledge came to us from the outer world with our religion.

Everything the power of the world does is done in a circle.

The sky is round and I have heard that the earth is round like a ball
and so are all the stars. The wind, in its greatest power, whirls.
Birds make their nests in circles, for theirs is the same religion as ours.
The sun comes forth and goes down again in a circle. The moon
does the same and both are round. Even the seasons form a great
circle in their changing and always come back again to where they were.

The life of a man is a circle from childhood to childhood, and so it is
in everything where power moves. Our teepees were round like the
nests of birds, and these were always set in a circle, the nation's hoop,
a nest of many nests, where the Great Spirit meant for us to hatch our children.

Black Elk, Holy Man of the Oglala Sioux 1863-1950

Over a hundred years ago Black Elk had a vision of the time when Indian people would heal from the devastating effects of European migration. In his vision the Sacred Hoop which had been broken, would be mended in seven generations.

The attorneys said they spent 42,000 hours on the case. "This settlement was not achieved easily or quickly, but rather is the fruit of eleven years of hard-fought litigation," they said in court papers that were posted by The Blog of Legal Times.

The settlement provides $680 million in payments to Indian farmers and ranchers who experienced discrimination at the USDA. It also creates a $80 loan relief fund.

Dakota prisoners of war share stories in collection of letters
Thursday, January 20, 2011

"For nearly 150 years, the voices of Dakota men imprisoned after the Dakota Conflict of 1862 went unheard.

But the details of their imprisonment are starting to emerge, in letters written by those prisoners after six weeks of fighting along the Minnesota River Valley that left hundreds of Indians, settlers and soldiers dead.

In a tiny office at North Dakota State University in Fargo, Clifford Canku has spent 10 years poring over the faint handwriting with a magnifying glass.

"One letter would take about a week," said Canku, a Dakota elder who teaches Dakota language at North Dakota State. Canku is one of three lead translators on the project, which has unearthed never-before revealed details of a turbulent episode in Minnesota history.

Some of the letter writers talk about the war; others describe prison life.

"We're very cold, and they took the stove away from us," one prisoner wrote. "It's way below zero and we're freezing. A lot of people have died."

The letters add important first-person perspective to a troubling time in history, said professor Bruce Maylath, one of Canku's colleagues in the NDSU English Department. They plan to publish 50 of the letters."

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"We grieve more because we have been disconnected from our earth, our first Mother, our spiritual Mother."

-- Larry P. Aitken, CHIPPEWA

Where does all life come from? The Earth.
Where does everything return to? The Earth.
Where do values come from? The Earth.

Many people are lost because they don't know the importance of connection to the Earth. They connect to money, to relationships, to success, to goals. When we are disconnected from the Earth, we have feelings of being sad or lost. When we are connected to the Earth, we feel warm and secure.

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Judge rules against brothers in battle over historic 13-star US flag
Thursday, January 20, 2011

Two brothers who are members of the Little Shell Chippewa Tribe of Montana won't be able to claim ownership of a historic 13-star U.S. flag.

The flag has been in the Gopher family's guardianship since the early 1800s. It was reportedly given to members of the Ojibwa tribe in Minnesota by U.S. soldiers.

Dorothy Gopher was the last guardian of the flag but she died without a will. Her sons, Mike and Glenn, went to court to claim ownership but Judge Thomas McKittrick instead said it should be handled by a public administrator, an idea that both brothers seemed happy with, The Great Falls Tribune reported.

The flag is in a safe-deposit box in Dorothy's name. The public administrator will likely put it on display.

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When you were born, you cried
and the world rejoiced.

Live your life
so that when you die,
the world cries and you rejoice.

White Elk
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President Obama names 3 to Indian Law and Order Commission
Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Ted Quasula, a member of the Hualapai Tribe of Arizona and a law enforcement veteran; Theresa M. Pouley, a member of the Colville Confederated Tribes of Washington who has served as a judge for a number of tribal courts; and Carole E. Goldberg, an Indian law professor, will take part in a "comprehensive study of law enforcement and criminal justice in tribal communities," as required by the law.

The commission will have six more members, to be appointed by members of Congress. So far, former Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D-South Dakota) and Troy Eid, a former U.S. Attorney, have been named to the panel.

Independence, MO —
Back in the early 1970s during my broadcasting days, I was conducting a breakfast show on the radio early each morning, which was broadcast from the restaurant of a nearby Miami, Okla., hotel.

One particular morning I was to interview the chief of the Quapaw Indian Nation over a cup of coffee. Their names slip my mind just now, but when the chief arrived he was in the company of his lovely daughter, who was, at that time, about 20 years old. After the introductions on the air, we began talking about something of interest relating to the history of the Quapaw Indian Tribe. However, the subject soon wandered to the Quapaw sign language.

The young Indian princess was attempting to show me (on the radio) one of the basic sign language maneuvers with her hands as I was trying to describe it to our listeners.

Apparently, I wasn’t doing so well, because the chief interrupted with, "My son, you need to get this right, because if you make a wrong interpretation of a sign language, you might become a little one. Our history is full of white man’s misinterpretations, and that is how we became the Quapaw."

He went on to explain that the Quapaw are close Native American relatives of the Osage, Omaha, Ponca and Kansas Indians. It is believed that common ancestors of these tribes lived as one people known as the Dhegiha Sioux in earlier times.

We know not which river; it could have been any of several rivers associated with the Dhegiha people’s history. But, many, many years before white man, according to legend, the people were camped along a river with high limestone bluffs on both sides. Torrential rains began falling and continued day after day swelling the river until a flash flood began to engulf the Dhegiha villages. The people scattered and were forced to flee to higher ground. In the chaos, they split into five separate groups.

The few people who stayed in the flooded village by hanging on to anything that floated became known as the "Heart-Stays People." One group that fled the village camps ran up the valley of a smaller stream where water locusts grew in abundance. Thus, they were named the "Sitters-in-the-Locusts." A third group held up under the river bluffs waiting for the floodwaters to recede. They were described as the "Down-Below People."

Another group stopped on top the bluffs and built fires to dry their belongings. They became know as the "Upper-Forest Sitters." And a fifth group climbed the bluffs beside the river and went deep into the forest beyond the bluffs and some of that group even climbed high into the trees. These people were called the "Top-of-the-Tree Sitters."

They lived separately for some time after the flood, but eventually the five groups became two, the "Upper-Forest Sitters" and the "Down-Below People." It became customary for the Down-Below People to camp below the Upper-Forest Sitters.

Much later in Native American history, a young French missionary came along and never was able to master the sign language very well. Because of his misinterpretations of the signs, the Upper-Forest Sitters became the Great Osage – or the Big Osage to the Europeans, and the Down-Below People came to be called the Little Osage.

The Little Osage continued to camp below the Big Osage until about 1720, when the Little Osage left the Big Osage and moved to villages on the Missouri River near the Missouria Tribes. Yet, they continued to be called the Little Osage by the Europeans. It was from this group known as the Little Osage that the proud Quapaw broke off, because they resented being called Little. "So, please get our sign language correct, my son."

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January 18, 2011
Johnny Depp is part CherokeeJohnny Depp is part Cherokee, eager to play Tonto

Did you know actor/pirate/moustache Johnny Depp is part Cherokee? Well neither did we!

EW doesn't say whether Depp is enrolled anywhere (maybe the UKBs will take him -- definitely not the CNO, they are touchy about that kinda stuff) but they do have an EXCLUSIVE to report:

"I always felt Native Americans were badly portrayed in Hollywood films over the decades," he says.

"It’s a real opportunity for me to give a salute to them. Tonto was a sidekick in all the Lone Ranger series. [This film] is a very different approach to that partnership. And a funny one I think."

So there you have it. Depp is going to make up for decades of bad movies about Indians by playing an Apache.

Moore serves as chair of the tribe's cultural committee. She is one of nine honorees this year.

"Ardina has a very deep commitment to the young people in our state, and not only to the youth of Indian country. Ardina rose as a strong woman and leader in her community," Chairman John Berrey said in a press release. "She understood that it was her responsibility as a Quapaw woman and as a teacher and as an Oklahoman to ensure that Quapaw and all children grow up with knowledge of their heritage."

Nearly a dozen Choctaw Nation employees are being deployed to Afghanistan.

The entire staff for the tribe's Veterans Advocacy Program will be overseas. Kelly McKaughan, Brent Oakes and John Lance are deploying early this year so the tribe has hired another person to pick up the work.

"The men who work in the Veteran’s Advocacy program at the Choctaw Nation have great pride in the job they do, assisting veterans and soldiers," Chief Gregory E. Pyle told The Durant Democrat.

LOS ANGELES - Those descended from the city's original founders have joined a growing chorus calling to halt construction of a cultural center in downtown Los Angeles that is being built on an 200-year-old graveyard.

Relatives of the pobladores - the 44 people who founded Los Angeles in 1781 - have teamed with American Indians and the Roman Catholic Church to formally object to the continued construction of La Plaza de Cultura y Artes, a planned Mexican cultural center across from Olvera Street.

"These are my great-grandparents," said Maria Benitez, of Irvine, who said she has blood ties to pobladores. "I have 18 names of 18 (relatives) who are buried here."

Construction found human bone fragments in late October, briefly bringing work to a stop. But construction resumed after La Plaza officials contacted the L.A. Catholic Archdiocese and the county coroner's office.

Workers later began excavating full burial sites that included complete human skeletons, coffins and artifacts.

The find set off angry reactions from the Gabrielino Indians, who quickly produced records showing up to 300 of their relatives were buried at the 600-grave cemetery.

The Pobladores joined the Gabrielinos over the weekend. And the two groups plan to speak at today's Board of Supervisors meeting.

Meanwhile, officials in the Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles penned a letter to the plaza's developers asking why no one told them that grave sites were turning up en masse.

La Plaza officials said Friday they stopped construction work after the archdiocese and Gabrielinos complained. La Plaza CEO Miguel Angel Corzo said archaeologists are on site cataloguing everything they find.

Those descended from the pobladores want their ancestors' remains left alone. They also want access to the construction site.

"I think they should rebury them with a memorial with all the names," said Paul Guzman of Tujunga, the president of a group representing the pobladores. "We have the names. They should show proper respect to the deceased."

The cultural center is slated for property owned by L.A. County next to the area's oldest Catholic church, known as La Placita.

County Supervisor Gloria Molina is on the board of directors for La Plaza but declined requests for comment Monday.

The group will hold a peace pipe ceremony before the Board of Supervisors meeting.

Iowa Tribe heralds five years of eagle sanctuary with new aviary
Tuesday, January 18, 2011

The Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma celebrated the fifth anniversary of its eagle sanctuary and rehabilitation center on Saturday.

The tribe has released eight rehabilitated eagles and is caring for 27 eagles at th Grey Snow Eagle House. "It’s an honor to care for them," Chairwoman Janice Rowe-Kurak said at the ceremony, The Stillwater News Press.

The tribe debuted a new aviary during the celebration. "This is what we really needed to give them more conditioning to flight and build-up to release," wildlife manager and elder Victor Roubidoux said, The News Press reported.

A group of youth from the Tohono O’odham Nation of Arizona sang a blessing for Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Arizona) outside of the hospital where she is being treated after an attempted assassination.
The youth sang the blessing for Giffords and for the other victims of the January 8 shooting in Tucson. Some were dressed in "brightly coloured traditional robes," the Financial Times reported.

Giffords represents Arizona's 8th Congressional district, where Native Americans make up about 2.1 percent of the population. During the 111th Congress, she was a co-sponsor of the White Mountain Apache Tribe water rights bill and the reauthorization of the Special Diabetes Program for Indians, both of which became law last year.

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The 'anchor babies' campaign and the story of Lost Bird

On 5 January, legislators from throughout the US announced their intention to begin a campaign to challenge the 14th amendment, the law that gives citizenship to any person born on US soil.

The group is arguing that the amendment was intended to deal with the status of former slaves after the civil war, not the status of children of undocumented immigrants – whom they call "anchor babies". They feel it needs to be reinterpreted so that it can be enforced with its "original intent" in mind. Although the reason for targeting those children is couched in terms of preventing their parents from using them to gain the privileges of citizenship, these efforts will have long-lasting consequences for them.

· Unfortunately, there is a long history of non-white children being put into the middle of a larger political fight that they have no power to understand or even negotiate.

This is the notorious case of US General LW Colby and his legal charge, Zintkala Nuni, or Lost Bird.

Zintkala was a baby of about six months when her tribe was attacked in what is known as the Wounded Knee Massacre of 1890, during which her wounded mother managed to scratch out a small shelter in the dirt for protection from the soldiers and weather. Four days later, they were found by people from the local community who were cleaning up the bodies. At first, the group thought Zintkala was seriously hurt, because she was covered in so much blood. It turned out the blood belonged to her dead mother.

Enter General Colby. Although he had not participated in the massacre, when he heard about the child, he immediately laid claim to her as a souvenir of the event, calling the child "a most interesting Indian relic". He used the courts to officially name the child as his own. After taking Zintkala home to his wife, Colby quickly lost interest in her – and abandoned her and his wife for another woman.

But the damage was done. Zintkala had a troubled youth that saw her subjected to constant racist attacks. She was in and out of boarding schools and ran away constantly. Her mother eventually sent her back to live with Colby in order to protect her. While there, however, her father beat her. After getting pregnant, Zintkala was sent away to a home, where she gave birth to a stillborn baby. After years of physical abuse from different husbands, and physical illness, she died at the young age of 29.

Unfortunately, many parts of Zintkala's experience are all too common. White adoptions of native children and their forced attendance at boarding school were widespread in the US, even into the 70s. As part of a political strategy of "killing the native and keeping the man", thousands of children were separated from their parents, just as Zintkala was. And just like her, thousands of those children struggled to deal with the repercussions of a political ideology they had no control or choice in.

Today, many of these same issues play out in the war against "anchor babies". Witness the case of Rubí and Cirila Baltazar Cruz, an indigenous Mexican daughter and mother who were separated by the US government because the mother, Cirila, did not speak English. Rubí was fast-tracked for adoption by a wealthy family in the US, and Cirila was scheduled for deportation. It was only after considerable work by legal support that over a year later, mother and daughter were reunited. Like Zintkala, Rubí and Cirila's story is not unusual.

The challenges to the 14th amendment are first and foremost grounded in the idea that undocumented women giving birth are committing a criminal act. That in giving birth on US soil, they are attempting to use their children to "secure" rights that they otherwise shouldn't have. The idea that an undocumented woman could dearly love and desperately desire the child she gives birth to is seemingly inconceivable.

What pictures expose is not a lack of love that white parents have for adopted non-white children – but rather instead the lack of value there is for the non-white parents. The integrity of Zintkala Nuni's relationship with her indigenous parents was as respected and regarded as necessary to her health and wellbeing as Rubí Cruz's relationship with her mother was, ie not at all.

And it's a tragedy that, after all this time, children still have so little say in how they are treated.

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A Plague on Your White HouseThe Presidents killed by a Native American curse
by Nice Parkins January 2011

The Battle of the Thames, 1812, where Tecumseh was killed.
George W Bush is a fortunate man. Not only did he dodge the slings, grenades and occasional footwear of outrage and scorn during his presidential twin-term in office, but, some say, a pre-destined arrow exacting an ancient Indian thirst for revenge…

In the newly formed land of the free, democracy was in its first throes of infancy. One of its many defining tantrums, the quaintly named ‘Battle of Tippecanoe’, saw charismatic Shawnee chieftain Tecumseh take on the first governor of the Indiana Territories, William H Harrison – and not for the first time.

The previous year, they had failed to see eye to eye over the sale of land agreed by the Miami Indians under the Fort Wayne treaty. Tecumseh didn’t buy this latest concession. He believed that the Indian nation was as one and that no single tribe had the right to sell land without approval from its peers. Harrison, on the other hand – like a seasoned real-estate developer running for office – saw it as his inalienable democratic duty to shake hands with all prospective allies among the native indigenous peoples. His refusal to relent on the treaty forced Tecumseh to seek support among various tribal factions. The military esteem in which Tecumseh was held proved the catalyst for his eventual undoing and what, some claim, was his subsequent and long-lasting revenge. His reputation went before him as he gathered followers, supported by a widely held belief in the word of his half-brother, the ‘prophet’, Tenskwatawa.

By 1808, Tecumseh, his brother and their followers had taken up residence in Prophetstown, near the Tippecanoe River in the Indiana Territory. In the three years leading up to the battle of 1811, their numbers had swollen, provoking white settlers in the region, fearing for their safety, to demand that the government take action.

On any other day, Harrison’s response might have played into Tecumseh’s hands. Tecumseh, after all, was a master warrior and a brilliant tactician. Unfortunately for the hopes of native resistance, Harrison’s decision to move within probing distance of Prophetstown was taken at a time when Tecumseh himself was away canvassing support for his growing alliance.

In his absence, Tenskwatawa, lacking his brother’s military nous and composure under the prospect of fire, blinked first. His authority to act, he claimed, came from the divine creator, the ‘Master of Life’, who would ensure that his people would prevail and that the white bullets would not dent their ambition. In fact, they suffered an ignominious defeat and a large number of casualties, and were driven from their settlement, which Harrison had burnt to the ground.

Tenskwatawa’s awakening had cost untold lives. Tecumseh returned to find his prospects, like Prophetstown, all but in ruins. Having allied himself so closely with his discredited brother, his aura and mandate to lead was broken. Legend tells that the wrathful chieftain now uttered a dire prophetic forewarning:

"Harrison will not win this year to be the Great Chief. But he may win next year. If he does… He will not finish his term. He will die in his office. You think that I have lost my powers. I who caused the Sun to darken and Red Men to give up firewater… I tell you Harrison will die. And after him every Great Chief chosen every 20 years thereafter will die. And when each one dies, let everyone remember the death of our people."

Perhaps not surprisingly, accounts of the curse’s origin conflict. Some say it was born out of the defeat at Tippecanoe; others claim that it was some time later, and that under the shadow of Tecumseh’s death the following year at the Battle of the Thames, it was Tenskwatawa who uttered the fateful words. The confusion doesn’t end there. Some say the curse is simply nonsense and that no records exist that support the existence of such a native Indian jinx. What is not in doubt is that the sinister malediction came to pass.

Sure enough, William H Harrison was elected ninth President of the United States in 1840; his inaugural address as president on 4 March 1841 first saw Death cast his shadow over the White House lawn. Harrison, the hardy military man, would later lay claim to the longest inauguration speech in American history, delivering his address on a shivering, wet, late winter’s day without a coat, hat or care for the cold. Soon after, he fell ill. His might have been the longest speech, but it turned out to be the shortest presidency: 31 days into his term, Harrison was dead.

Talk of revenge as a dish best served cold was superstitious nonsense. Harrison was a proud, stubborn man of good age, taken off by a chill wind and the cold hand of time. Pneumonia was the cause of death. There was nothing supernatural about it, surely?

Next to fall while in office was Zachary Taylor. If the curse were to be taken at its word, one would rightly expect Taylor, who became President in 1849, just eight years after Harrison, to be safe from its effect. But he was an exception to the rule – perhaps because he and Tecumseh had history. It was Taylor who, in the War of 1812, defended Fort Harrison from Tecumseh and the Shawnee; his involvement in defeating the Native Americans apparently led to death from gastroenteritis.

Normal service resumed in 1865 when a shot rang out and the icy hand returned to grip President Lincoln, one year into his second term in office. Lincoln had been elected in 1860. Thereafter, the fallen made for unnerving reading: 1880, Garfield (dies 1881: assassin’s bullet); 1900, McKinley (for second term) (dies 1901: assassin’s bullet); 1920, Harding (dies 1923: heart failure); 1940, Roosevelt (for third term) (dies 1945, during fourth term: stroke); 1960, John F Kennedy (dies 1963: assassin’s bullet).

From the onset of Harrison’s reign in 1840, no president elected in a year ending in ‘0’ would leave the White House alive. The curse proved as good as its word. Moreover, Taylor aside, no sitting president from the George Washington on who was elected outside of a year ending in ‘0’ has met an untimely end while in office.

And the weird coincidences are not restricted to death. Take the submerged patterns linking the assassinations of Lincoln and Kennedy. One of the cutest sees Lincoln shot in Ford’s theatre, while Kennedy is killed in a Lincoln convertible manufactured by the Ford Motor Company. Does chance work in mysterious ways? Is a shadowy hand drawing order from chaos? Possibly. Or as sceptics claim, is this nothing more than a convenient selection of facts – are we simply seeing faces in the clouds?

Perhaps. But perhaps not. David McMinn cites the Fisher Exact Probability test, which was used to yield a significance level of 0.00004; the result concluded that the pattern is a very unlikely result of mere chance. Even a more conservative approach, McMinn claims, by mathematician Michael Capobianco returned a significance level of less than 0.1.

If chance as an explanation can be questioned, the curse is back in the game. Questions, however, remain: why would it strike only once every 20 years? Putting that aside, and with the benefit of hindsight, why did Reagan (elected in 1980) and Bush (2000) survive?

In his earlier career in the Wild West, Reagan was used to dodging screen bullets. In 1981, his guile was tested as never before when a real assassin’s bullet came within inches of his heart. Reagan’s survival suggested to some that the curse had been lifted. Further evidence came in the years succeeding 2000, when the baby Bush era saw a grenade that failed to go off and a pair of wayward shoes hot off the heels of a well-oiled if somewhat disgruntled Iraqi. The irony was that one of the most unpopular presidents in American history had proven remarkably resistant to such attacks.

Sceptics claimed that this was the death-knell for a curse-cycle peddled by mystics and mired in hogwash. For believers, Reagan had been very, very lucky; and as for Bush? Well, Dubya had never been ‘chosen’ as the terms of the curse were said to demand – the ‘stolen’ election of 2000 had seen to that. So, the curse was still there, bubbling under.

Some astrologers have considered the possible influence of a Jupiter-Saturn conjunction on a presidential death cycle. In ancient cultures, these planets were often considered the great chronocrators, or governors of time. Their resulting alignment (known as a conjunction), which occurs on an average 20-year cycle, was considered by many to signify periods of great socio-political-economic change. Among their many attributes, Jupiter is said to represent the ruler, while Saturn symbolises death. It’s not hard to see where joining the dots might take us…

As a result, the past two centuries of Jupiter-Saturn conjunctions on a 20-year rotation have been touted as a possible factor in presidential deaths. During this period (1800–2000) only three presidents survived while in office. Of these, the conjunctions accompanying Monroe’s election (1820) fell on the fire sign Aries and Reagan’s appointment (1980) on the air sign of Libra. Aside from Monroe and Reagan, all conjunctions have fallen on Earth signs Taurus, Virgo or Capricorn; an association – with the exception of Jefferson (1800) – that has without fail led to the death of the presidential incumbent.

The year 2000 was the final act in this particular astrological marriage of convenience. Its arrival led many to posit (FT145:14) that George W Bush would be the next – and last – with conjunctions thereafter falling to the air signs Gemini, Libra and Aquarius. Bush, however, as history would tell, did not answer to universal laws, only unto himself. His survival in office, sceptics say, put paid to any talk that US democracy was written not in the constitution, but rather the stars.

It is, of course, possible that Tecumseh, or his brother Tenskwatawa, set his fateful curse in conjunction with these two ruling gas giants and their astrological alignments. This would explain the motive behind a 20-year cycle.

The question remains: why, then, did Bush survive? Was it down to the ‘stolen’ election? Did the ‘rightful’ candidate go one better even than Reagan and dodge a pre-destined bullet? Is the inconvenient truth for Al Gore that he owes his life to his Republican rival?

MONTPELIER — Two Vermont Abenaki tribes are ready to have the state Legislature decide whether to grant them official recognition, and two more appear headed that way under new rules the tribes hope will end a long and frustrating process.

The Nulhegan band based in Brownington and the Elnu based in Jamaica won the recommendation of the Vermont Commission on Native American Affairs, which has turned the applications to legislators.

"We are finally reaching the apex," commission Chairman Luke Willard said Wednesday at a Statehouse news conference announcing the applications. "I do believe 2011 is the year."

"This gives us our identity," said Don Stevens of Shelburne, chief of the Nulhegan band.

The bands are seeking official state recognition they say will allow members to apply for scholarships set aside for American Indians and to meet federal rules for selling arts and crafts as native-made. Legislators established this new process for recognition last year.

Two more Abenaki bands aren’t far behind in seeking recognition.

The Koasek of the Koas based in Newbury won the commission’s recommendation, and the state’s largest band, the Missisquoi, filed its application with the commission Wednesday afternoon. The commission will prepare a report and forward it to the Legislature on the Koasek and will appoint a panel of experts to review the Missisquoi application, Willard said.

April St. Francis Merrill, chief of the Missisquoi Abenaki based in Swanton, handed out bound copies of the application to commission members. For her, it was an emotional moment. Wednesday would have been her father’s 76th birthday, she said. Homer St. Francis was the fiery longtime chief of the Missisquoi band who fought for state and federal recognition. He died in 2001.

"If it weren’t for my father, none of this would be happening," Merrill said of the state recognition effort.

Efforts during the past 17 years to attain state recognition have run into repeated roadblocks. Abenaki were granted recognition in 1976 only to have it rescinded the next year over fears that it would lead to federal recognition and land claims. Legislation in 2006 simply granting overall recognition failed to meet federal guidelines for recognition.

That led lawmakers last year, through tenuous negotiations, to set up a new process by which bands would apply to the commission for recognition with detailed information about the bands’ members and links to Vermont. Three outside scholars then review the information and decide whether it meets specific criteria. The commission then decides whether to recommend recognition to the Legislature. Lawmakers then vote whether to grant the band recognition.

The law specifies that recognition does not allow the bands to make land claims and establish casinos, as American Indians have done in other states.

Although four bands acted relatively quickly to seek recognition, handing over tribal information for public perusal also gave members pause. Vermont Abenaki long have been wary of making the names of their members public.

In the late 1920s, Vermont Abenaki were subjected to a state-sponsored eugenics campaign that promoted the sterilization of Abenaki as an undesirable population, and for tribal members to deny their heritage.

Mistrust also runs strong among bands of American Indians, some challenging the authenticity and motives of others, with malicious comments spread on the Internet.

The Missisquoi withdrew an application for recognition in the 1980s rather than publicly list its members, Merrill said, but she hopes times have changed, and the information won’t be used against anyone.

Merrill said she had mixed feelings as she submitted her band’s application Wednesday. "We’ve been through this process and had it taken away so many times," she said, but she added, "We have a good feeling about it."

Stevens, a former member of the Missisquoi band who joined the Nulhegan after research showed his family had roots there, said receiving recognition will be worth it. He pointed to a silver bracelet on his arm made by a member of his tribe who would be able to sell such jewelry legally as Abenaki-made — likely earning a higher price and generating more demand — if the band earns recognition.

"This process has been bittersweet, because we’re the only people on the face of the earth that have to prove who we are," Stevens said.

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Being Indian is an attitude, a state of mind, a way of being in harmony with all things and beings.
It is allowing the heart to be the distributor of energy on this planet, to allow feelings and sensitivities to determine where energy goes, bringing aliveness up from the Earth and from the Sky, putting it inand giving it out from the heart."

~Brooke Medicine Eagle~

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IT CAN BE HARD KEEPING A STRAIGHT FACE AS A COURT REPORTERATTORNEY: What was the first thing your husband said to you that morning?
WITNESS: He said , 'Where am I, Cathy?'
ATTORNEY: And why did that upset you?
WITNESS: My name is Susan!
____________________________________________

ATTORNEY: This myasthenia gravis, does it affect your memory at all?
WITNESS: Yes.
ATTORNEY: And in what ways does it affect your memory?
WITNESS: I forget..
ATTORNEY: You forget? Can you give us an example of something you forgot?
___________________________________________

ATTORNEY: Now doctor , isn't it true that when a person dies in his sleep , he doesn't know about it until the next morning?
WITNESS: Did you actually pass the bar exam?
____________________________________

ATTORNEY: The youngest son , the 20-year-old , how old is he?
WITNESS: He's 20 , much like your IQ.
___________________________________________

ATTORNEY: Were you present when your picture was taken?
WITNESS: Are you shitting me?
_________________________________________

ATTORNEY: So the date of conception (of the baby) was August 8th?
WITNESS: Yes.
ATTORNEY: And what were you doing at that time?
WITNESS: Getting laid
____________________________________________

ATTORNEY: She had three children , right?
WITNESS: Yes.
ATTORNEY: How many were boys?
WITNESS: None.
ATTORNEY: Were there any girls?
WITNESS: Your Honor, I think I need a different attorney. Can I get a new attorney?
____________________________________________

ATTORNEY: How was your first marriage terminated?
WITNESS: By death..
ATTORNEY: And by whose death was it terminated?
WITNESS: Take a guess.
____________________________________________

ATTORNEY: Can you describe the individual?
WITNESS: He was about medium height and had a beard
ATTORNEY: Was this a male or a female?
WITNESS: Unless the Circus was in town I'm going with male.
_____________________________________

ATTORNEY: Is your appearance here this morning pursuant to a deposition notice which
I sent to your attorney?
WITNESS: No, this is how I dress when I go to work.
______________________________________

ATTORNEY: Doctor , how many of your autopsies have you performed on dead people?
WITNESS: All of them.. The live ones put up too much of a fight.
_________________________________________

ATTORNEY: ALL your responses MUST be oral , OK? What school did you go to?
WITNESS: Oral..
_________________________________________

ATTORNEY: Do you recall the time that you examined the body?
WITNESS: The autopsy started around 8:30 PM
ATTORNEY: And Mr. Denton was dead at the time?
WITNESS: If not , he was by the time I finished.
____________________________________________

And last:

ATTORNEY: Doctor, before you performed the autopsy, did you check for a pulse?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: Did you check for blood pressure?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: Did you check for breathing?
WITNESS: No..
ATTORNEY: So, then it is possible that the patient was alive when you began the autopsy?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: How can you be so sure, Doctor?
WITNESS: Because his brain was sitting on my desk in a jar.
ATTORNEY: I see, but could the patient have still been alive, nevertheless?
WITNESS: Yes, it is possible that he could have been alive and practicing law. **********************************************************************************************

Here is my Birthday Card for Dr. King, Jr.
dedicated to the King Family and all that support Human Rights. KING
____
There once was a King
and boy could he sing
"i have a dream!"
how come this dream ain't real?
let me break it down
here's the deal
shot down
watchin' the marchin' man
Atlanta shoe shine
white man's hooded mask
got a task
there's a hangin' in the air
they don't care
or dare or share
in unity and peace
politician release
themselves, their eyes don't see
sayin' no such thing
as a black king
He was TOO REAL
to deal with
so they shot him down
couldn't have him around
enemy packed ammo
shoot down democracy
replace with hypocrisy
catch my drift, ya got my riff
on this song?
won't be long
you know the jam
bam bam
"and they shot him....shot him down"
won't be long won't be long
another will sing Dr. King's song
'cause we have A DREAM and wer're BUILDIN' IT!
and we're not jus'
marchin' in Atlanta
but UNITED
in a place they call United States of America
the land of democracy
and freedom of speech
yea right!
Well....we're gonna BRING IT
RING IT
SING IT
we're gonna KING IT!
All across the map!

As a friend was slurping his 2nd cup of coffee, he reported, since early this morning the snow has been falling heavily and it is nearly waist high. The temperature is dropping below zero, the north wind is now rattling both his windows and his nerves, they're in the midst of a wild, full-blown "nor'easter" , and his wife hasn't done anything all morning but look through the kitchen window. He said, "At this rate, if it gets much worse, he may have to let her in.

Chief Strong Horse...strength and health
Tony Cricket...health and a healing
Chief Standing Bear...health and wisdom
Barbara...health and a healing
Harry...health
Spirit...health and wisdom
Cookie...health and a healing

(Since the writting of this newsletter Cookie has passed. We wish her familiy strength and peace in knowing that she is with her Creator now and is healthy once again.)

Wisdom for all our Clan Mothers, Chiefs and Council members

Tulip....originally Tulip was diagnosed with 'canker' of all four of her hoofs.
Update....the swelling in her abdominal region is liver damage from a huge parasite load. She'll need a whole heap of prayers now.
(Tulip is a mule that helps the handicapp)

Mix flour, baking powder and salt. Add warm water and knead until dough is soft, not sticky. Stretch and pat dough until thin. Tear off one piece at a time; poke a hole in the center. Drop into skillet of hot cooking oil. Brown on both sides. Serve hot. Very good with honey or dusted with powdered sugar. Makes delicious hamburger buns and is great as a taco shell. * * * * *

Oneida Corn Soup
Yield: 1 batch

Corn Water
Wild rice
Wild greens
Venison

Cook corn in water with bits of venison, wild edible greens like cowslip, ferns, or milk weed and a handful of wild rice. Cook slowly until corn is tender and greens are done. Good with fry bread.

This pueblo bread originated in the Rio Grande area of New Mexico and has always been made in the shape of a bear's paw. It is crusty, easy to make, delicious to eat, and most impressive in appearance! This recipe can easily be halved; it can also be frozen, well wrapped, for up to three months.

Place the 2 cups of hot water, shortening, honey, and salt in a large bowl; stir to melt shortening.
Dissolve yeast in the warm water in a small bowl. When liquid in the large bowl has cooled to room temperature, stir in the yeast mixture. Add flour 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. After 8 cups have been added to the dough, place the remaining 2 cups on a board and turn out dough over flour. Knead dough until smooth and elastic, 10 to 15 minutes.

Place dough in a lightly greased very large bowl, turning to grease top of dough. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise about 1 1/2 hours, or until doubled in bulk. Turn out on a floured board and knead again for about 3 minutes.

Grease 4 (9-inch) pie pans or 2 baking sheets. Divide dough in quarters and form each piece into a flat circle about 8 inches in diameter. Fold each circle almost in half, allowing the bottom to extend about an inch beyond the top. With a sharp knife, slash the dough twice, cutting through both layers of dough, about halfway back to the fold. This will form three separated sections - the bear's paw. Place each loaf in a greased pie plate, or on a baking sheet, curving the folded side in a crescent shape. Separate the slashes. cover loosely with a towel and let rise until doubled in bulk.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and place a shallow pan of hot water in the center of bottom rack of the oven. Place loaves on the top rack. Bake about 1 hour, or until lightly browned and bread sounds hollow when tapped.

Tatanka Iyotake was a Lakota Medicine Man and Chief and was considered the last Sioux to surrender to the U.S. government. their are many wonderful quotes attributed to Sitting Bull. One which really strikes me is:

"Is it wrong for me to love my own? Is it wicked for me because my skin is red? Because I am Sioux? Because I was born where my father lived? Because I would die for my people and my country? God made me an Indian!" MY COUNTRY stands out because natives where attacked on THEIR COUNTRY!

Ohiyesa tells of how Sitting Bull got his name:

After a buffalo hunt, the boys were enjoying a mimic hunt with the calves that had been left behind. A large calf turned viciously on Sitting Bull whose pony had thrown him, but the alert youth got hold of both ears and struggled until the calf was pushed back into a wallow in a sitting position. The boys shouted: He has subdued the buffalo calf! He made it sit down! And from this incident was derived his familiar name of Sitting Bull.

As read in Tatanka Iyotake's biography it is interesting to note that in 1865 and 1866 Tatanka Iyotake met with Louis Riel, a Metis leader who came across from Canada for safety as Louis Riel helped to lead two rebellions against the Canadian government.

(submitted by Smiling Elk)
Thank you my friend for the history lesson.

Herbal Uses"
Mother Earth has some of the most incredible store house of natural remedies and we need to learn how to use them again. The herbs listed below are recommended for their healing properties. Please use these herbs under a physicians consent if you are not familiar with herbal healing. DO NOT use any of these herbs if you are or think you may be pregnant. Children should use herbal remedies only with the consent of your physician. Under no circumstances do herbal remedies replace a physicians care. ~~~~~~~~ALLSPICE
AKA: Clove pepper, pimento, Jamaican pepper
RX: cooking, oil for toothache, infusion for digestive aid

Allspice is used as a digestive aid, anesthetic, and pain reliever and has been used to treat flatulence and diabetes.
*****Warnings: Allspice oil should never be swallowed as it can cause nausea, vomiting, and even convulsions. The oil can also be irritating when applied externally to people with sensitive skin or those with eczema.

~~~~~~~~~
ALOE AKA: Socrotrine, cape, curaiao, Barbados, Zanzibar aloe
RX: cut mature (lower) leaves for burns, scalds, sunburns, or cosmetic benefits Aloe is one of the most widely used herbs for burns, scalds, sunburns, scrapes and an infection fighter. It can also be used to smooth and beautify skin.
*****Warnings: Aloe latex is a very powerful laxative and may cause severe cramps and diarrhea. It should never be ingested by pregnant women as it may cause miscarriage.

~~~~~~~~~
ANISE AKA: aniseed, sweet cumin
RX: infusion of seeds, tinctures It has been used as a cough remedy, digestive aid and contains chemicals similar to estrogen, which may help with menopausal discomforts, and has been known to treat some cases of prostrate cancer.
*****Warnings: if your doctor has advised you not to use birth control pills then you should seek the advice of a physician before using this herb.

~~~~~~~~
BASIL AKA: sweet basil, St. josephwort
RX: tincture or infusion for acne and general infection fighting It has been used to treat intestinal parasites, acne and stimulates the immune system
*****Warnings: Test have shown that basil may contain a chemical that has cured liver tumors in mice, although the cancer risks remain unclear and not even the most conservative herb critics advise caution when using it.

~~~~~~~~
BAY AKA: sweet bay, green bay, laurel, Grecian or roman laural
RX: fresh leaves for wounds, infusion , tincture Bay is not only used as a bug repellant, but has been known to soothe sore joints, treat infections and when added to a bath may help with relaxation.
*****Warnings: external uses of bay should be avoided if you have sensitive skin as it may cause a rash ****************************************************Connecting With Our Animal Spirit Guides

Messenger.......Shadow.......Journey.......Lifetime

Animal Spirit Guide of the month for February 2011.......BEAR : "Awakening the Voice Within"

Bear Medicine teaches us that we all have the ability to quiet our minds, enter this silence, and learn the answers to our life questions. It can help us to connect with this capacity, and to be more aware. It has been said that all of our problems (challenges) have solutions, if we take the time to learn the art of "introspection."

The Bear is a solitary creature in nature, which can teach us the importance of independent thinking.

Bear helps us to quiet the internal "chatter" and retreat to the cave for a time of hibernation and reflection of our thoughts, feelings, and goals...to a different level of consciousness. This retreat can also help us to understand important messages that come to teach us lessons from the dream world.

Hibernation is a symbol of reflection and returning to the womb of Mother Earth. The cave is a symbol of the mind and sleep, and returning to higher consciousness, seeking balance in our lives.

If you carry Bear Medicine within, it is important not to hide or hibernate all year long, and to come out of the den and not remain reclusive for long periods of time. Just as Bear comes out of hibernation in the springtime, it is important to come out to experience new growth and opportunities.

Strength and Power are well-known attributes of Bear, and so, as well, Bear Medicine. Although bears are known to be playful spirits, they can be very serious and aggressive if threatened. A mother bear is very devoted, nurturing, and patient with her cubs. She is incredibly protective of her young, and will lay down her life for them, if necessary.

The beloved and well known "Teddy Bear" is a symbol of comfort for children, and can help them feel safe, secure, and contented.

Bear Medicine has been referred to as the "Keeper of Lunar Magic". Bears have a strong connection to trees, literally and figuratively, and trees are like natural antennas...connecting heaven and earth. Bears love to connect with trees on a physical level, rubbing and pushing against them. In the heavens, as we know it, a constellation was named after Bear, "Ursa Major," or "The Great Bear". Seven stars of this constellation are prominent in our northern hemisphere. These seven stars also form "The Big Dipper". "Ursa Minor" is named for "The Little Bear" and is part of the formation of "The Little Dipper", also located in the northern sky.

If you are one with strong Bear Medicine, you are usually guided to a role of leadership and teaching, and sharing knowledge and experience with others are important goals for you.

Bear reminds us to pay attention to how we think, act, and interact, as well as how to make decisions with discernment. Finding and maintaining balance in our everyday lives can bring peace and contentment to our own lives, and send this healing energy into the lives of others around us.

......."Wakan Tankan Nici Un"......"May the Great Spirit walk with You".......Cherokee.......

1. Each morning upon rising, and each evening before sleeping, give thanks for the life within you and for all life, for the good things the Creator has given you and for the opportunity to grow a little more each day. Consider your thoughts and actions of the past day and seek for the courage and strength to be a better person. Seek for the things that will benefit others (everyone).

2. Respect. Respect means 'to feel or show honor or esteem for someone or something, to consider the well being of, or to treat someone or something with deference or courtesy.' Showing respect is a basic law of life.

3. Once a council has decided something in unity, respect demands that no one speak secretly against what has been decided. If the council has made an error, that error will become apparent to everyone in its own time.

4. Be truthful at all times, and under all conditions.

5. Always treat your guests with honor and consideration. Give of your best food, your best blankets, the best part of your house, and your best service to your guests.

6. The hurt of one is the hurt of all, honor of one is the honor of all.

7. Receive strangers and outsiders with a loving heart and as memebers of the human family.

8. All the races and tribes in the world are like the different colored flowers of one meadow. All are beautiful. As children of the Creator they must all be respected.

9. To serve others, to be of some use to family, community, nation, and the world is one of the main purposes for which human beings have been created. Do not fill yourself with your own affairs and forget your most important talks. True happiness comes only to those who dedicate their lives to the service of others.

10 Observe moderation and balance in all things.

11. Know those things that lead to your well-being, and those things that lead to your destruction.

12. Listen to and follow the guidance given to your heart. Expect guidance to come in many forms; in prayer, in dreams, in times of quiet solitude, and in the words and deeds of wise Elders and friends.

****************************************************Earth, Teach Me

Earth teach me quiet ~ as the grasses are still with new light.
Earth teach me suffering ~ as old stones suffer with memory.
Earth teach me humility ~ as blossoms are humble with beginning.
Earth teach me caring ~ as mothers nurture their young.
Earth teach me courage ~ as the tree that stands alone.
Earth teach me limitation ~ as the ant that crawls on the ground.
Earth teach me freedom ~ as the eagle that soars in the sky.
Earth teach me acceptance ~ as the leaves that die each fall.
Earth teach me renewal ~ as the seed that rises in the spring.
Earth teach me to forget myself ~ as melted snow forgets its life.
Earth teach me to remember kindness ~ as dry fields weep with rain.

A Ute Prayer

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Well, I hope your new year is being good to you. Don't forget if you have something to add to the newsletter let me know at: shiakoda@att.net

Good Blessings to all until next month.
Shiakoda Autumn Wolf Moon Q.

* * * * * *

May the stars carry your sadness away,
May the flowers fill your heart with beauty,
May hope forever wipe away your tears,
And, above all, may silence make you strong.